Assignments 2007-8

ASSIGNMENTS: Note—In addition to the journal topics below, you must also add your three author interviews and a self-discovery activity (please see syllabus description). Final exam is on a separate sheet and is open book, open notes, like all other assignments.

Journal topics. Answers should be thoughtful and avoid excess summarization of the readings (number of handwritten pages indicated are a minimum). You should provide specific examples from the activities and readings covered. If turned in after the end of the course, typed copies should be submitted as you will need to send those electronically.

Sunday, 12-30: In TWO pages, comment on the following: Look at the outside of the Institut du Monde Arabe and give your interpretation of the architectural style and message of its design. (Be sure to look at the windows closely from the inside looking out as well). Once you have entered, choose one exhibit in the institute and give your impressions of the object. Are you surprised by the representation? Even if you are inexperienced at art appreciation, study closely the object and describe the message it conveys through its shapes, lines, colors, forms, materials, etc.

Monday, 12-31: In ONE page, choose one exhibit at the Musée Dapper, and analyze it, similarly to what you did at IMA yesterday.

Wed, January 2: In TWO pages, choose an exhibit at the Immigration museum and comment on it thoroughly. The exhibits at this museum are usually not by one artist, but the display usually tells some kind of personal story or general reality about immigration. Tie this in to what you read in the essay, “To Write in a Foreign Language”.

Thursday, Jan. 3: The MacVal was opened two years ago, the first modern art museum in the suburbs and the first of its kind to celebrate ALL artists with some connection to France (through birth, immigration, expatriate status, etc.) In TWO pages, explain the importance of a museum like the MacVal in the suburbs, and find one exhibit that particularly relates to the theme of this course and explain that piece of art.

Friday, Jan. 4: In TWO pages, give your general impressions of the African and Arab immigrant neighborhoods of Paris. Does Beyala give an accurate description of Belleville and Paris in her novel? Explain. How do these neighborhoods compare with immigrant communities you have seen in the United States? Are there problems evident here? Any positive observations? During this visit, did you at anytime feel you stood out as a “foreigner”. Explain.

Saturday, Jan. 5: A Day in Saint-Denis: In TWO pages, compare what you hear in the media and in the city about the perceptions of the youth of the ‘banlieue’ and what actually goes on in the housing developments as explained by the activists running the Women’s Association of Franc-Moisin. In ONE page, tell what draws this diverse group of worshippers to this megachurch and describe your own observations of the interactions of the congregation.

Sunday, Jan. 6: In ONE page, discuss how the prevalence of African and Middle Eastern dance in Paris adds to the cultural landscape of the city. What did you personally learn from these two sessions?

Tuesday, Jan. 8: In TWO pages, comment on the following:

From what you learned by visiting the Mosque, what would you say is the biggest obstacle hindering the total acceptance of the Muslim community into traditional French society? What needs to be done to overcome such an obstacle and do you foresee a solution in the near future? What do the two communities have in common? In your opinion, should France recognize polygamous marriages in the Muslim community and should co-wives and children be eligible for the same government benefits as monogamous couples? Explain.

Wednesday, Jan. 9: In TWO pages, explain if you notice any differences between the Asian neighborhood and the Arab and African neighborhoods. In France and in other Western cultures, it has been said that Asians are the “privileged minority”. While Westerns see this as a “compliment”, Asians are often insulted by this appellation. Explain.

Friday, Jan. 11: In THREE pages, and after having used the same set of questions for all three schools, compare and contrast the student reactions to your questions. Do you believe that the immigrant students you have witnessed at the schools have integrated well into French life? Does it seem that some immigrants have integrated better than others? What accounts for such differences, in your opinion? Compare the students’ perspectives of the immigrant experience and multiculturalism at Lycée Paul Valéry, ETSL, and Lycée Louis-le-Grand. Do you believe social class influences the opinions of students? Choose at least one interesting comment from each group of students and discuss your personal reaction to each.

Saturday, Jan. 12: In ONE page, give your general impressions of the course experience. What was your favorite part of the course? What was surprising to you? Did you have any opinions before the trip that have changed with this experience? Did you find Francophone literature to be vastly different from Western European or American literature or how is it the same?

FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS (To be completed as essays – two paragraphs minimum).

Loukoum (Choose three of the four)

1. Describe how the article “Polygamy, Disrupted Reproduction, and the State: Muslim Migrants in Paris” relates to Loukoum’s family. Give a specific example within in your answer.

2. Choose one of Abdou’s letters (Loukoum’s father) that is particularly thoughtful. Explain how the traditional role of the African male is in direct conflict with life in France.

3. Does Beyala’s description of Loukoum suggest a positive or negative outlook for France’s immigrant youth as they become adults? Explain.

4. Evaluate the intentions of the French social worker, Madame Saddock. Are such social services a help or a hindrance to the African immigrant community?

Essential Encounters (choose three of four)

1. Encouraging a relationship to develop between Joël and Doris, Flo jokes that she is merely following African tradition whereby a woman could chose a second wife for her husband. She soon finds her plan is no laughing matter. Explain why this once acceptable tradition can no longer work in contemporary African society.

2. Besides the situation mentioned in question #1, what other conflicts can tradition impose upon the modern African couple? Give examples from the novel.

3. What is the purpose of adding the character of Zimba to the novel? What does she represent?

4. Analyze the characters of either Flo or Doris in the novel. Are these portraits of strong women or weak women? Explain your answer thoroughly.

Sabra and Chatila / Montjoie Palestine ! (Answer all)

Explain what happened in Sabra and Chatila.

What is the meaning of the expression ‘Montjoie, Palestine!’

How do these two prose poems relate to current world events in the Middle East? Why do you think these issues are of interest to French society?

Coquelicot du massacre / Poppy from the Massacre (Answer all)

What is the symbolism of ‘poppy’ and ‘massacre’ and how do these symbolisms feed into the overall meaning of the title?

How can you relate personally to some of the characters in the novel, Najmé in particular?

Find examples of recent world events that are reminiscent of events in the novel occurring in 1988.

Self-guided discovery / ethnic neighborhood report (oral and written) (10%)

In groups of three or four students maximum, choose one cluster of addresses below and pick three addresses to visit within the cluster. The places you visit may be large or small, the employees and / or volunteers may or may not speak English, some may be friendlier than others, but this is part of the discovery activity—to gather information in an environment with which you are totally unfamiliar. If you do not have a Paris street guide, there is a map of the immediate area at each metro stop which will allow you to find the streets indicated. At each location, look for written materials to take along with you and do not be afraid to ask questions or to explain to those on-site what the goal of your course is. You will write up your findings in TWO pages and your group will also present your discoveries (and adventures) to the class.

Cluster 1: The Maghreb (North Africa)

Centre Culturel Algérien (Algerian Cultural Center)

171 rue de la Croix-Nivert, metro : Felix-Faure, Mon. – Sat. 9-17h30 or evenings with special exhibits

Nina Bazar

35 boulevard de Belleville, metro : Belleville, Tues – Sat. 9h30 to 19h30 (Arab market)

Maison Franco-Orientale

19 rue Daubenton, Metro : Censier-Daubenton or Monge

Food Products from North Africa and the Middle East

Le 404 and Andy Wahloo

69 rue Gravilliers, Metro: Arts-et-Métiers

Restaurant and club run by a family of Moroccan brothers. Has gained the attentions of all trendy Parisians. Open for lunch and Sunday for brunch. Open evenings, of course!

Cluster 2: The Mashrek: representative countries: Egypt, Lebanon, and Syria (if you choose this cluster, do not make all three visits to Egyptian sights alone)

Egypt :

Centre Culturel d’Egypte (Egyptian Cultural Center)

111 boulevard Saint-Michel, metro : Luxembourg, Mon. – Fri. 10-19h

Quartier de la Foire au Caire

Place, passage, et rue du Caire, rue d’Aboukir, rue de Domiette, metro: Réamur-Sebastopol, weekdays and Saturday from 11-2 p.m.

(entire Eygptian-influenced neighborhood from 1798—although the neighborhood is no longer Egyptian, it will not take you long to discover its Egyptian roots—in particular, look at the facade at 2, place du Caire and enter the passageway)

Maison d’Egypte (Egypt House)

132 ave du Maine, metro: Gaité, Mon. – Sat. 10-2 and 3-7

Lebanon :

Eglise Maronite Notre-Dame du Liban

15-17 rue d’Ulm, metro : Luxembourg

Syria :

Centre Culturel arabe syrien (Arab-Syrian Cultural Center)

12 rue de Tourville, metro : Ecole Militaire, Mon. – Thurs. 10-6, Friday, 10-3

Maison Franco-Orientale

19 rue Daubenton, Metro : Censier-Daubenton or Monge

Food Products from North Africa and the Middle East

Cluster 3 : Kurdistan, Turkey, and Armenia :

Kurdistan :

Institut Kurde (Kurdish Institute)

106 rue LaFayette, back courtyard, metro : Poissonière, Mon-Fri. 9h30-6:30 and Sat. 2-6.

Centre culturel kurde Ahmet Kaya

16 rue d’Enghien, metro : Strasbourg-Sain-Denis, everyday 10-19h

Turkey:

Eglise du Saint-Esprit

186 avenue Daumesnil, metro: Daumesnil (replica of the Aya Sofia mosque in Istanbul)

Ottomania

14 rue Charles V, metro: Saint-Paul, Tues-Fri. 11-19h, Saturday 14h-19h (Turkish bazaar)

Armenia:

Maison de la culture arménienne (House of Armenian Culture)

17 rue Bleue, metro : Cadet (various activities and hours)

Cluster 4: Iran:

Centre Culturel Pouya

48 bis quai de Jemmapes, metro: République, everyday from 10-22h (independent, secular center for Persian arts)

Centre culturel iranien (Iranian cultural center)

6 rue Jean-Béart, metro : Saint-Sulpice, Mon.-Sat. 15h-19h Artisanat d’Iran (Iranian artistic goods)

28 rue Gay-Lussac, metro : Luxembourg, Mon-Sat. 10h-19h30.

Cluster 5 : Sub-Saharan Africa:

Notre Dame des Buttes-Chaumont

80 rue de Meaux, metro : Bolivar, every day with special Kimbangu services on Sundays from 15h-17h

(Kimbangu is an African Christian group originating from Congo-Kinshasa and Angola)

As-Art

3 Passage du Grand-cerf, Metro: Etienne Marcel AND 35 rue Saint-Paul, Metro : Saint-Paul

Tues. – Sat. 11h30-19h30 (African furniture and housewares)

Xuly Bet

Espace Créateurs in Les Halles Shopping Mall, Metro: Les Halles

11 a.m.- 7 p.m. Tues.—Sat. (Monday from 2-7 p.m.)

One of the first African fashion designers to gain acclaim in Paris.

CSAO

3 (boutique) and 15 (art gallery) rue Elzévir, metro :Saint-Paul, Mon.-Sat. 11-19h and Sunday 14-19

(boutique only)

Espace Reine de Saba (Cultural Center of Yemen and Ethiopia)

30 rue Pradier, metro: Buttes-Chaumont or Pyrénées, Tues. thru Sunday 14h-19h, opens at 11 on Saturdays

Maison d’Ethiopie (Ethiopia House)

19 rue Copreaux, Metro: Volontaires, Tues. to Sun. From 11 to 19h Mam’bia

9 bis cours des Petites Ecuries (passageway intersecting at 63 rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, Metro : Strasbourg-Saint

Denis (Restaurant, bar, music, and dancing from Cap-Vert)

Cluster 6: Tibet:

Bureau du Tibet et Maison du Tibet (Official office of Tibetan government in exile and Culture center)

84 boulevard Adolphe Pinard, metro : Malakoff-Plateau de Vanves

La Maison de l’Indochine (Cultural Center for Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia)

76 rue Bonaparte, Metro : Saint-Sulpice, Mon. to Sat. from 10-19h

Galerie de la Maison du Viêt-nam (Vietnamese art market)

28 rue des Bernardins, metro : Maubert-Mutualité, Mon. to Sat. 11-19h

Cluster 7: India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan:

Sri Manika Vinayakar Alayam (Very friendly Hindu temple—you must leave shoes at the door)

72 rue du Philippe-de-Girard, metro : Max Dormoy, everyday from 9h30-20h30

Centre Mandapa (Indian cultural center)

6 rue Wurtz, metro : Glacière, Mon. to Sat. 11-19h

New Shamina Super Market (Indian bazaar)

184 rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, metro : La Chapelle, Mon-Sat. 10h-20h.

VT Cash and Carry (Indian supermarket)

15 rue Cail, metro: La Chapelle, 9-9 p.m everyday but Monday

Ganesha Corner (Indian and Sri Lankan bakery, snackshop, and restaurant)

16 rue Perdonnet, Metro: La Chapelle

Note : The Pakistani neighborhoods can be found in the Rue de Jarry (metro: Gare de l’Est) and the Passage Brady (metro: Strasbourg Saint-Denis). You may also choose one or both of these sites for this cluster.

Latin / South America:

Oba—Mercado General (artsy and trendy store featuring items only from Brazil

83 Quai de Valmy, Metro: Jacques Bonsergent (overlooking the Canal Saint-Martin)
Mexi et Co.

10 rue Dante, Metro : Cluny-La Sorbonne

VERY tiny and VERY popular Mexican cantina run by a Mexican woman in Paris for 26 years. Cheap food if you want to come for lunch or dinner.

Maison de l’Amérique Latine
217 boulevard Saint-Germain, Metro: Solferino

Art exhibits, conferences, restaurant

Mission Latino-Americana

123 rue de la Santé et 122 rue de la Glacière, Metro : Glacière

Church and parish known by all Latin-Americans in Paris

Duo Style

168 bis rue de Charonne, Metro: Alexandre Dumas (located at the very end of the passageway)

Elaborate costumes for those interested in Salsa, Tango, Rhumba, and Mambo

La Boutique d’Amérique Latine

64 and 68 boulevard Pasteur, Metro: Pasteur

The largest Latin American traditional craft and clothing store in Paris

Syllabus

Winter Session Abroad- Paris, France

The schedule of activities is as follows but is subject to change without notice in order to accommodate invited guests of the course. Times here indicate start times and do not necessarily account for travel time.
Your assignments may be handwritten if you do them while in Paris. You can leave your completed work with your instructors upon leaving Paris, or if you wish to type everything, you must send the remaining work by email: For Professor Toman: http://us.f504.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=cheryl.toman@case.edu. For Professor Accad: http://us.f504.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=evaccad@aol.com or http://us.f504.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=e-accad@uiuc.edu. Keep in mind that it is imperative that you at least take notes throughout the entire course, especially after every class experience.
Note: The registrars of both schools are highly opposed to long-term incompletes. All grades must be turned in by the instructors on January 22nd. As we need time to grade these papers ahead of time, we expect you to send us the rest of the assignments BEFORE January 22nd.
NOTE: Your self-discovery activities must be scheduled around these activities. (See syllabus)

Friday, Dec. 28: Leave for Paris

Saturday, Dec. 29: arrival in Paris, on-site orientations.

Sunday, Dec. 30: Meet at residence hall at 9:30 a.m. for discussion. Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, Metro : Laumière (Bring map in packet)
Institut du Monde Arabe, rue des Fossés Saint-Bernard, Metro : Jussieu Assignments : Keep reading Loukoum. Read Maillard’s “The Muslims of France”.

Monday, Dec. 31: 11 a.m. Fem’Chic en Spectacle, 2 rue Livingstone, Metro Anvers. Visit of Montmartre Musée Dapper, 35 rue Paul Valéry, Metro : Charles de Gaulle-Etoile or Victor Hugo

Tuesday, Jan. 1: FREE

Wednesday, Jan. 2: 11 a.m. Cité nationale de l’histoire de l’immigration, Palais de la Porte Dorée 293, avenue Daumesnil, metro : Porte Dorée. Read, « To Write in a Foreign Language ».

AND 5 p.m. Discussion with anthropologist, Paul Vieille. Metro: Place Clichy
Assignments: Keep Reading Loukoum. Read both articles on the Muslims of France
Self-discovery activity…

Thursday, Jan. 3: 10:30 a.m. Musée MacVal, contemporary art museum of the suburbs. Line n°7 direction Mairie d’Ivry, get off at station, Porte de Choisy. Then bus n°183 direction Orly Terminal Sud. Stop: Moulin de Saquet-Pelletan (directly in front of museum).
AND

5 p.m. Discussion of Evelyne Accad’s Poppy from the Massacre. Read also “Beirut, The City that Moves Me”, and “A Lebanese Anguishes from Paris”.

Friday, Jan. 4: 9:30 a.m. Sociological study of immigrant neighborhoods. Belleville market, Metro: Couronnes and African market, Metro: Barbès / Chateau Rouge. (Bring maps in packet) Discussion of Loukoum and Sargent and Cordell’s “Polygamy, Disrupted Reproduction, and the State”.
AND

1:30-3:30 p.m. Centre de Danse du Marais for course on African dance with renowned instructor from Congo, Lucky Zebila. (41 rue du Temple, métro: Hôtel de Ville. Studio Chopin) Athletic attire suggested. Shoes are not worn in the studio.

Saturday, Jan. 5: Meeting to begin at 11 a.m. Visit to Women’s Immigrant Association in Saint-Denis (Femmes du Franc-Moisin).

AND Lunch and visit of Saint-Denis

AND 3:30 p.m. Observation activity / Charisma Church, 15 boulevard de la Libération / 24 rue Charles Michels, Saint-Denis

Sunday, Jan. 6: 10-11:30 OR 11:30-1 p.m. Middle Eastern dance class at Sun City Gym, 90 avenue de Saint-Ouen, metro Guy Môquet. Both men and women should bring a long scarf that can be tied around the waste. Women should wear a long skirt or leggings. Shoes are not worn in the studio.

AND 1:30 Group lunch at Mont-Liban restaurant. 42 boulevard des Batignolles, metro: Rome.

Monday, Jan. 7: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Visit to Lycée Paul Valéry and discussion with French students and their instructor, Monique Hartman (38 boulevard Soult: métro Porte Dorée). Bring magazines or newspapers in English to distribute to students and also samples of American snacks to share with French students who will be hosting a lunch for you.

AND Discussion with Thérèse Kuoh-Moukoury and Cheryl Toman, 5 p.m. at Residence Hall. Read Essential Encounters with introduction.

Are you working on your self-discovery activity?

Tuesday, Jan. 8: 10:30 a.m. Visit of the Grande Mosquée de Paris (Place du Puits de l’Ermite, métro: Monge). Souk and tearoom after tour. Art appreciation activity. Read: Viorst’s "The Muslims of France".

AND
HALF GROUP: 2 – 4 p.m. Lycée Louis-le-Grand. Discussion of pertinent social issues with French students and their instructor, Françoise Séquestra-Karo. Formal reception to follow. Appropriate attire required (no jeans). 123 rue Saint-Jacques. Metro: Cluny La Sorbonne / Luxembourg / Saint-Michel. Bring English magazines or newspapers to share with students.

Work on self-discovery activity…

Wednesday, Jan. 9: 10:30 a.m. Visit to the Vietnamese / Asian neighborhood. Early Lunch at Pho 14 (voluntary). 129 avenue de Choisy. Bring maps in packet Discuss Linda Le’s Slander at ETSL.

AND
1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Visit to Technical Lycée for discussion of pertinent social issues with students and their instructors Hassen Hadjadj, Isabelle Thery, and Yves Simon. 95 rue du Dessous des Berges, metro: Bibliothèque. Please bring magazines or newspapers in English to distribute for all students.

Thursday, Jan. 10: FREE (Have you completed your self-discovery activity for tomorrow?)

Friday, Jan. 11:
HALF GROUP: noon to 1 p.m. Lycée Louis-le-Grand. Discussion of pertinent social issues with French students and their instructor, Françoise Séquestra-Karo. Appropriate attire required (no jeans). 123 rue Saint-Jacques. Metro: Cluny La Sorbonne / Luxembourg / Saint-Michel. Bring English magazines or newspapers to share with students.

AND FOR ALL: 4 p.m. at Residence Hall, Discussion of C’était hier Sabra et Chatila and Montjoie, Palestine! with Madeleine Aba. Presentation of Self-Discovery Activity (Five minutes each group).

Saturday, Jan. 12: Departure from Residence Hall at 8:30 a.m.

LAS 199: Paris: A Multicultural Perspective

Professor Evelyne Accad, UIUC Courses Abroad

AND

IN 350: The Immigrant Experience in France

Professor Cheryl Toman, January Immersion semester in Paris 2008 for Millikin University

Dec. 28, 2007 – Jan. 12, 2008

Course philosophy: This course will introduce students to the impact of globalization through the study of the immigrant experience in Paris, its multi-cultural identities with the negotiation of cultural beliefs and practices. They will be made aware of cultural diversity with an appreciation for others; their interest as well as their understanding of other cultures will be aroused through the celebration/appreciation of diversity, broadening their disciplinary and cultural perspective. They will improve their critical and analytical thinking through comparisons with French education versus their US experience thanks to the visit they will have in French schools and talking to French students as well as their visits to immigrant associations and cultural centers.

Course objective: By the end of this course taught on-site in Paris, the student will have read and discussed works by prominent authors of Sub-Saharan Africa and the Maghreb / Mashrek such as, Calixthe Beyala, Evelyne Accad, Thérèse Kuoh-Moukoury, and Noureddine Aba. Excerpts of Linda Le's Slander will offer a perspective from the Vietnamese community. The student will be able to identify both literature-specific and universal themes, and will be made aware of issues that deal with women of the Francophone developing world and the immigrant experience in particular using Paris as the model. The student will debate and explore issues such as racism, religious tolerance, feminism, polygamy, colonialism, and post-colonialism, as well as other aspects of a multicultural society. More specific themes include new immigration laws and the sans-papiers, secularism and the veil, the banlieue, the Lebanese war, the Algerian revolution, Islamism, and African women and power. Students will supplement the reading of novels and articles with interviews with the authors themselves, and various other visits to artistic and cultural centers. Students will also conduct sociological studies of multicultural neighborhoods and visit French secondary schools and classes préparatoires to discuss first hand the views of France's youth on multiculturalism and other pertinent issues during a round table format designed specifically for that purpose. Studies of the arts will also be included. The students come to appreciate African, Asian and Arab cultures that they encounter during their stay in Paris through sampling a day-in-the-life of the protagonists from the novels read for the course. Due to the fact that these characters “come alive” through these visits, the students are likely to be more accepting and understanding of cultural differences due to the human element that has been introduced by the readings.

Creative works and materials:

Loukoum: The Little Prince of Belleville by Calixthe Beyala, 1995 (in course packet)

Poppy of the Massacre by Evelyne Accad, translated by C. Hahn, L’Harmattan, 2006.

Essential Encounters by Thérèse Kuoh-Moukoury with Introduction by C. Toman, MLA, 2002

“A Lebanese Anguishes from Paris” by Evelyne Accad

It Was Yesterday Sabra and Chatila and Montjoie! Palestine by Noureddine Aba, Bilingual edition edited and translated by Toman and Accad, L’Harmattan, 2004

Slander (excerpts) by Linda Lê, 1996 (in course packet)

Articles and Essays (in course packet):

“Polygamy, Disrupted Reproduction, and the State: Muslim Migrants in Paris, France” by

Carolyn Sargent and Dennis Cordell (2002)

“Beirut, The City that Moves Me” by Evelyne Accad (2002)

“To Write in a Foreign Language” by Etel Adnan (1996)

“The Muslims in France and the French Model of Integration” by Dominique Maillard (2005)

"The Muslims of France" by Milton Viorst (1996)

Grading: 25% Journal

20% Interviews with authors / scholars

15% Self-guided ethnic neighborhood report (oral and written)

20% Participation, attendance, prepared activities

20% Final exam

Journals (25%): Students will be responsible for writing their reflections in essays of two pages minimum per day. Journals will include both guided and free writing exercises based on the course activities. Within these journal assignments, you will also write on our visit with English classes and their instructors at three very diverse schools in Paris. During the visits at these lycées, students should have various questions in mind to ask their French counterparts. Questions should be related to the themes of the course, and the various responses will be recorded in the journal assignments for that particular day. It is also to be expected that American students will respond frankly and thoughtfully to any questions the French students may have for them as well. The purpose of the exchange is to promote understanding and to identify cultural parallels.

Interviews with authors / scholars (20%): Students are expected to formulate three questions to be asked during the session with all authors / scholars: Accad, a prominent Arab novelist / scholar writing on Arab women, Kuoh-Moukoury, the first woman novelist of Sub-Saharan Africa, and Madeleine Aba, wife of deceased Algerian author Noureddine Aba, and Paul Vieille, anthropologist. Questions should be thought provoking and perhaps question a certain interpretation of one of the readings. Students may choose three of the invited guests and write-up their interview not as a summary, but rather as a further discussion of the points raised.

Self-guided discovery / ethnic neighborhood report (oral and written) (15%): The course allows us to cover in depth only the largest immigrant communities in Paris. Therefore, one day of the course will be set aside for students to discover in groups of three or four certain other ethnic communities in Paris by visiting locations frequented by members of the Turkish, Kurdish, Indian, Egyptian, Armenian, Iranian, Congolese, and Tibetan communities among others. Each discovery will include three or four addresses provided by the instructors. Students are responsible the following day to report on their research to the class. A written report is also to be included in the final paper.

Participation (20%): Students must attend every class and non-attendance, with the exception of confirmed illness, will not be tolerated. Each absence will result in a significant reduction in points and missed assignments. Students are also expected to participate rigorously in any class discussions and activities. As the course is an intensive session, students who miss more than two class sessions automatically receive a grade of 'F'. Students may make up missed work at the discretion of the course instructor.

Final exam (20%): An essay-style exam based on the material covered in the course. Course materials may be consulted to complete the exam.

Homework

Following is the first homework assignment.

Your pre-departure journal is due Nov. 16th by 5 pm:

Pre-Departure Journal Assignment

a) Write about your own “culture”. This can take any direction you want, but it must be sincerely addressed.

b) Take one or more “American” value we discussed and give examples of how you’ve seen it demonstrated in American society. If you have them, give examples of how these values have compared/conflicted with values/traditions from other cultures.

If you were not in class, you may go to the following webpage for help: (http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/educators/enrichment/culturematters/Ch2/thirteencategories.html ), however, you are not limited to this one resource. You may draw from any resource, including personal experience. While there is no “right” or “wrong” answer, a well thought out, well articulated response should be submitted by all.

Journal Assignments should be 1-3 pages and are due by 5pm Friday, Nov. 16th.

Useful Web Pages

Bonjour Everyone!

How are all of you doing? Here’s a small Webliography on Paris you might enjoy.
Here are some cites to get you started:
There are Les Pages de Paris (The Paris Pages) online in English and French, designed for visiteurs and will keep you busy for a while: http://www.paris.org
To review what we learned in class about how to ride the metro, please take a look at: http://www.paris.org/Metro/
Read about the Carte Orange that you got at the orientation meeting:
http://www.paris.org/Expos/ParisTickets/Orange/
Take a look here as well…
http://www.paris.org/Monuments/
http://www.paris.org/postcards/metro.html
(free e-postcards): http://paris.parishotels.com/ecards/index.php?lang=en
You can ask questions about travel to and around Paris, or on life in Paris on the "Thorn Tree" Travel Forum, a service from LonelyPlanet.com that allows you to post questions (for free) and have anyone in the world who wants to answer respond.
See it for yourself:
http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com

Need help brushing up on your French? Check this out:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/lj/
http://french.about.com/
http://www.homestead.com/Anne_Fox/LearningFrench.html

***More links:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/places/places-of-a-lifetime/paris-thebasics.html
http://cityguide-europe.com/fr/paris /

If you have know of any resource, webpage or otherwise, please share it with the group by responding with a comment. Thank you.
Bonne chance et Bon voyage!
Sincerely,
Ms. Dinah
Assistant Director, OMSA
Tel. (217) 333-0054 armstead@ad.uiuc.edu
130 Student Services Buidling, MC-306, 610 E. John Street

Pre-Departure Class Times

Pre-Departure Class Times:

Saturday, October 13 11:00am - 12:30pm Lucy Ellis Lounge, Foreign Language Building

Friday, November 2nd 3:30pm- 5pm Office of Minority Student Affairs- Academic Services - 701 S. Gregory St Suite I(in the East Campus Commercialization Bldg- across from Krannert).

Wednesday, November 14th 5:00pm- 6:30pm Location: 1120 FLB (Foreign Language Building)

PARIS CHECKLIST: January Immersion 2008

PARIS: A MULTICULTURAL PERSPECTIVE ∞ DEC 28 2007-JAN 12 2008

Departure: Leaving on Air France Flight 051 from Chicago O'Hare at 5:40 p.m. on Friday, December 28. International Terminal 5.

Arrival in Paris, Charles de Gaulle Airport at 8:50 a.m. on December 29th.

Check-in at Air France counter no later than two hours prior. Students must arrange their own transportation to and from O’Hare. Tickets are to be picked up at the study abroad office before students leave for winter break at the end of the semester.

Flight information home: Air France Flight 50 from Charles de Gaulle Airport at 1:15 p.m. Arriving at O’Hare at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, January 12th, 2008.

Accommodations:

Paris "Le d'Artagnan" http://www.hostel-in.com/indexeng.html

80, rue Vitruve - 75020

Paris Phone : 33 (0)1.40.32.34.56

paris.le-dartagnan@fuaj.org

From the US, dial 011-33-1-40-32-34-56 (Paris is 7 hours ahead of Central Standard Time). Cheaper rates may be obtained by dialing “10-10-345” before the above set of numbers. You can also use French calling cards. Do NOT buy American phone cards here as they are a waste of money compared to the French cards.

1. Get $50 in Euros before leaving (American Express or Thomas Cook offices or O'Hare Airport). The exchange rate of the euro fluctuates depending on the stock market. You do not want to change all your money here because the rate is much better in France. Currently, one euro is about $1.47.

2. Bring a small photo if you want to take advantage of the cheapest transport pass. If you attended the orientation meeting, passes were given to you to fill about before leaving.

3. Bring your student ID -- unlike in the US, France has many, MANY more discounts for students (from museums to clubs). Also, you may want to purchase an ISIC (International Student Identity Card) from Travel Cuts on Green street.

4. Don't forget books and materials for the class. You also will need to give us the equivalent of 30 euros once in Paris for the purchase of two additional texts needed for the course. (This is cheaper than shipping them to the US.)

5. No more than two checked bags and a carry-on are allowed (purses do not count towards baggage allowance). O’Hare may not let you lock your bags due to inspection procedures - - please take anything of value on the plane with you in a carry-on. Since summer 2006, there are additional regulations on the amount of liquids you can carry in your hand luggage (less than 3 oz.)

6. Have ticket and passport handy at all times at the airport.

7. THe teaching assistant for the course who will also be staying at teh youth hostel is Dinah Armstead, an Assistant Director in the Office of Minority Student Affairs at the University of lllinois. She has extensive experience with the Paris course, has lived in France, and is fluent in the language.

8. You can always contact the two professors of the course while in Paris. Professor Toman’s cell number is 06.25.12.31.08. Professor Accad’s cell phone is 06.25.51.57.02. The assistant, Dinah's cell phone is: 06.26.13.23.20.

9. You do not need sheets, but you do need your own toiletries such as shampoo, soap, etc., plus you will need to bring your own towels. As you are sharing a room with up to seven people, past students of the course have advised that you bring shower sandals.

10. Millikin students will need about $50 for transportation passes and museum entrance fees while in Paris. These expenses are already covered in the fees paid by students from The University of Illinois.

11. Most of the time, attire is casual, but you need one nicer outfit (no jeans) for the visit to Lycée Louis-le-Grand and “athletic” clothing for the African dance course. Shoes are not worn in the dance studio.

12. Please bring three magazines or newspapers in English to give to the French students we will meet as part of the course. These readingmaterials need not be brand new—they may be magazines that you have already read and would have discarded. However, they prove most useful to French students studying English.

13. You get breakfast and one other meal per day as part of the package.

14. Any problems? Professor Accad’s email is: evaccad@aol.com and her number in Paris is: 011-33-1-42.26.13.82. Professor Toman’s number in Chicago is 312-316-3707 and Dinah Armstead can be reached on campus at (217) 333-0054 or at armstead@ad.uiuc.edu.

15. Our website for the course with announcements and assignments is:
www.illinoisinfrance.blogspot.com

2007-2008

LAS Courses Abroad: Global Studies

Winter Break 07-08

Professor's Name: Evelyne Accad

E-mail: e-accad@uiuc.edu or evaccad@aol.com

Teaching Assistant: Dinah Armstead E-mail: armstead@ad.uiuc.edu

UIUC COURSES ABROAD
LAS 199: Paris: A Multicultural Perspective
**Please see: http://www.las.uiuc.edu/coursesabroad/CoursesAbroadCSS/winter/paris.html
Deadline for Applications: September 20, 2007
Applications and deposits of $250 can be completed online.
Questions?
Call Dale Gardner (dalegard@uiuc.edu) in the Study Abroad Office (SAO) at (217) 333-6322 or contact Barbara Hancin Bhatt in LAS at hancinbh@uiuc.edu or (217) 333-0178